SMC.exe fails to start when the policy file (serdef.dat) is corrupt
Fix ID: 2351705
Symptom: SMC.exe will fail to start when the policy file (serdef.dat) is corrupt.
Solution: SMC.exe will now use the backup.dat and server.dat instead of serdef.dat, if serdef.dat cannot be loaded.

The following fix was added in 12.1 RU1:

SMC.exe fails to start when the policy file (serdef.dat) is corrupt
Fix ID: 2359517
Symptom: SMC.exe will fail to start when the policy file (serdef.dat) is corrupt.
Solution: SMC.exe will now use the backup.dat and server.dat instead of serdef.dat, if serdef.dat cannot be loaded.

However if the server.dat and backup.dat policy files are corrupt as well, you will need to replace them with good copies from a working SEP client of the same group, or reinstall SEP.

Manual workaround (if unable to upgrade to RU7 MP1 or 12.1 RU1)

1. Delete the serdef.dat and possibly the serdef.dat.bak file.

In Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.x and 12.0, these files are located in

\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\

or

\Program Files(x86)\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\

In version 12.1.x of Symantec Endpoint Protection, these files are located in:

If the service fails to start, it is likely the server.dat and other policy files are corrupt as well. Reinstall SEP, or replace the .dat files with known good copies from a working SEP client of the same group. This will replace any policies previously in place with the policies from the SEP client being used as a source.

Note: If you are unable to delete the files, you can use a tool like the SysInternals "MoveFile" tool to mark them for deletion. It can be downloaded from the following source:

In situations where the clients have already been updated to 11.0 RU7 MP1 or 12.1 RU1, this would point to corruption in one of the other policy files used by the SEP client - cltdef.dat, cltdef.dat.bak, server.dat, or backup.dat. Here are the steps to perform to replace these files:

Note: In 11.0 RU7 MP1 and 12.1 RU1 there is no need to manually replace serdef.dat and serdef.dat.bak.

If you use policy files from a different group, the client will change its group in the manager. You can correct this by moving them from the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager console after they resume normal communications.

Please contact Symantec Technical Support for further assistance if any difficulty is experienced in identifying which policy is or may be corrupt.